The focus of the proposed conference will be on the theoretical investigation of language and cognition through a multi-level analysis of Williams syndrome (WMS), a genetically based syndrome in which the major domains of cognitive function show a principled separation. The conference will focus on the implications of this interdisciplinary research for education and language policy. To date, there is no existing forum, society, or organization that brings together investigators from different fields who have specific research on WMS and communication disorders. This professional meeting will provide a much needed forum for presentation and discussion of new developments and collaborative research concerning the linguistic and cognitive profiles of WMS; their origin; development, and biological basis, and the implications of WMS for language an cognition in brain structure, brain function, and at the level of the gene. Additionally, the meeting seeks to attract researchers working in relatively isolated environments who are not aware of each others work, as well as new researchers to the crucial filed of interdisciplinary study of language and communication disorders. Topics and Format The conference topics were selected using two criteria: (1) The existence within the topic of relevant and timely research involving WMS; (2) The relevance of the topic to the biological bases of language and cognition. The six main sessions will include the following topics: (1) Linguistic Profiles in WMS (Issues: delineation of linguistic preservation; the juncture between language and cognition: differential profiles in high functioning WMS individual); (2) Cognitive Profiles in WMS (Issues: peaks and valleys in spatial cognition; identification of islands of sparing in WMS in nonlinguistic cognition; differential trajectories of development in face processing and language; the role of the emergence of grammar); (3) Affect and Temperament in WMS (Issues: affect, emotion, temperament, psychosocial functioning); (4) Brain Structure and Brain Function in WMS (Issue: characteristic brain structure in WMS; callosal morphology and spatial cognition; cerebellar morphology and language; characteristic brain function in WMS; new brain imaging methodologies; histological pathology; distributed brain system models); (5) Molecular Biology of WMS (Issues; genetic etiology; biochemical pathophysiology); (6) Medical Research in WMS: A Developmental Perspective (Issue; treatment and developmental trajectory of abnormal calcium metabolism; hyperactivity and mood disorders during development; effects of drug therapy)' and (7) Round Table: Intersecting Concerns of Researchers, Clinicians, and Educators (Issues: research relevant to clinical and educational concerns methods of information transfer between research and care provider; new research directions).